


The Third Time Around

by maydayparade8123



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-27
Updated: 2013-07-27
Packaged: 2017-12-21 13:22:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/900783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maydayparade8123/pseuds/maydayparade8123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Leo falls for three girls; the worst one perhaps being the best for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Third Time Around

Leo Valdez had a horrible habit of falling for the wrong girls.

Girls out of his league, girls uninterested, girls who were  _his best friend’s girlfriend._

But, out of all the times that he fell, he thinks that the one girl – the one who is the absolute worst – might just be the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

* * *

Piper McLean was Leo’s first crush.

It was menial, puppy love – hardly love at all if he’s being honest. She was the last part of the trio that held himself and Jason. He ended up spending much more time with her than he originally anticipated, and she was just  _so easy to talk to_.

Piper was laid-back, calm, one of the guys. She didn’t overcomplicate things with girl drama, and she was typically very upfront about her feelings. She laughed at Leo’s jokes and oftentimes could send similar ones back, leaving both of them, as well as Jason, in rolling in laughter on the floor until their sides are aching painfully.

But of course, Piper has a thing for Jason.

And why wouldn’t she? Jason isn’t ugly, according to the whispers of girls when him and Jason walk by. He’s often been asked if Jason is single, or if he had Jason’s number, or if Jason was going to the dance of Friday. Jason was basically catnip for teenage girls.

So, even though he’s a blushing mess half the time around Piper, he doesn’t act on it. Jason likes Piper back, and before he knows it, they’re dating.

It bothers him at first, because now he feels like the more or less awkward third wheel, but whenever they go into the next grade, sixth, there’s a whole influx of new students – new  _girls_  – and Leo finds himself not really caring so much about the fact that they’re dating.

Leo is admittedly and unashamedly a flirt, so of course he talks to nearly every girl that walks by. Most times he’s shot down, but he takes it in stride, always proclaiming that he’s, “waiting for the perfect lady to come to him". However, within the next second, he’s winking at the next girl he sees.

He’ll admit that he was a bit perturbed when Piper went to the dance with Jason, and then invited him to come along with them. He goes anyway, saying he’d go by himself, if only to make sure Jason and Piper don’t get  _too_  close. The crush may be gone for the most part, but the thought of them being  _together_  still makes him a little antsy.

They slow dance in the awkward way most sixth graders do, arm length apart from each other and rocking back and forth. He nods his approval at that and turns to get another soda, missing the kiss that Piper placed on Jason’s cheek as the song ended.

Leo sees a girl, definitely an older one, gathering the tickets from those arriving. She’s pretty, definitely, and the second she flashes a bright smile at the entering student, Leo knows he’s done for.

***linebreak***

It’s actually near the end of his seventh grade year when the pretty girl acknowledges his existence, even though he’d attempted to talk to her several times. He’s staring without bashfulness at her, and she says, “take a picture, it’ll last longer". Leo had laughed to himself, replying that a picture wouldn’t be able to encompass her neverending beauty. She’d thrown her pencil at him.

He tried several times to talk to her again, but she simply didn’t care, either ignoring him, or replying “I don’t care". Leo ignored it though, sometimes saying things that were so unnecessary and pertained to nothing happening at the present moment. He once launched into his life story, omitting the part about his mother’s passing, but telling her the details of his crazy uncle he resided with, without a single reply from her.

But if Leo is one thing, it’s persistent.

He talked to her nearly every day, sometimes getting called out in class and even getting detention twice. He was never bothered by that, as he’d always gotten in trouble in school. He hated all of his classes, besides woodshop. That was the one place he excelled, and helping his uncle at the shop was actually useful.

The day he finds out the pretty girl’s name is an uneventful one if anything, but he’s embracing it. Leo hardly ever complained about anything. If he was being honest, it was hard to. He could be lying in a grave parallel to his mother and dead grandfather, but no. He was lucky enough to live, so he really would  _live._  So, after some sleuthing, he finds out the girl’s name is Hazel, and it’s beautiful and perfect, the only name he would ever pin to her now.

He startles her by greeting her as Hazel when she entered Science class, and she’d narrowed her eyes, asking how he’d learned her name. He’d only winked in response, stating that he had his ways. That had made Hazel frown, but he ignored it, trying to talk to her the whole class period and being ignored.

Hazel has already made it clear that she’s disinterested, and Leo gets that, but it’s the _challenge._  She won’t even consider him a candidate to be her next boyfriend of sorts, and that hurts his feeling a bit, not like he’d ever say. He sends her roses on Valentine’s Day, only to see her friend snatch them away and peel off the petals. Hazel could have stopped her of course, but she didn’t. In fact, she’d only shrugged after a moment of consideration.

However, within the next ten minutes, another bouquet of flowers are given to her, and she squeals as her friends gather around her, hushed excitement over a guy named Frank. Leo thinks that’s an old guy’s name, but he doesn’t voice his opinion, simply turning his head and looking out the window for a few seconds, mourning the crush that was now dead.

* * *

It’s when they reach highschool that Leo actually gets notice by a few girls. He’d grown out of his intensely awkward stage, and now he’s the kind of awkward that some girls find endearing. His walking is a bit haphazard, now that he’s had a growth spurt or two, leaving him with a long torso and even longer legs. He has a way of being awkward in his movements, but having an incredibly confident and content mindset.

His hair is still thick and curly, black as night. He has a habit of sweeping his hair to the side after shaking it out. His eyes are a deep brown, gorgeous, according to some. He has an admirer or two in younger grades, but that’s not what he wants.

Leo’s always liked older girls. It’s an odd preference, considering that older girls don’t tend to go for younger guys. But Leo had no problem pining.

Now that he’s in highschool, nearly everyone is dating someone or having sex with so-and-so. Leo isn’t doing either, so he feels a bit out of the loop, but he never voices that. Leo hates to complain. The group he hangs out with encompasses many people, Jason and Piper still in the group, but he isn’t as close to them as he used to be. They’re considered one of the power couples, and they’d forgotten about their old friend who was a mechanic.

Leo had a job now, despite only being fifteen. He walked to work after school and proceeded to fix cars until late at night. He adored his job, loved wearing his light blue shirt with his name in the classic font, loved how it was always covered in oil. He loved when he was given a challenge, having to try several times to get the vehicle perfect. If it wasn’t perfect, Leo refused to give it back to the customer. You could call him a perfectionist, but it was only if he was working on cars.

He still flirts with girls as they walk by, and he even flirts with girls who bring in their cars. He never gets much of a response, but it doesn’t even bother him anymore. Leo accepts the fact that he’s a flirt and that he’ll probably never get anyone to fall in love with him. But it doesn’t sting as much as it used to.

The first time he sees his new  _her_  is on the school news in the morning. She’d giving the announcements, looking serious, like she’d never smile a day in her life.

And Leo realized that he wanted to see her smile.

No –  _he_  wanted to be the one that caused the smile.

"…  _I’m Reyna Liston, President of the Junior class, and those were your announcements for the day."_

 _Reyna_ , Leo said in his mind, deciding that he quite liked it.

* * *

It was only after school when he was walking to work when Leo actually thought about the situation. He was a freshman – one of the losers. She was a junior, and way too gorgeous for him.

But then again, Leo had a certain type of girls that he loved. He liked girls that were out of his league.

So, it seemed, Reyna Liston was perfect.

He’d heard things about her, heard that she was a bitch and a queen bee, who took absolutely  _no_  shit. That didn’t really bother him much, but if Leo was being honest, she was a bit intimidating with her dark hair and dark eyes.

Once he got to the shop, he threw his backpack on the ground behind the desk, yanking his light blue button up out of it, and heading into the office to clock in. His boss greeted him, saying that there was already a customer waiting. Leo nodded, giving Mr. Boss a grin. He’d never actually learned his boss’ name. He usually just called him ‘Bossman’.

Leo grabbed a stack of stick notes and put a pencil behind his ear, just in case this person was going to be complicated. He picked up a wrench off the floor, seeing as it was misplaced, mindlessly tossing it up in the air before setting it down in the closest toolbox.

"Nice trick."

He jumped at the voice, turning around with a raised eyebrow. It was a girl – no, it was _her_. “O-oh, hi," Leo stammered, cursing himself. Her dark hair was shiny and pulled back, but she was still gorgeous – maybe even moreso. Now, you could see her so-dark-brown-they’re-almost-black eyes. He smiled, getting his game back. She’d just knocked him off balance for a second by surprising him. “‘M Leo."

"Charmed," she said, glancing him up and down. “Aren’t you a little lanky to be working on cars?"

"Ah, a stereotyper, I see," Leo said, laughing. “Yeah. I’m lanky. But I can bet you that I’ll fix your car better than anyone else in town, assuming you do have a messed up car – and you aren’t just here to admire me working?"

Reyna’s eyes flashed, humored, but no smile reached her lips. That gave Leo personal triumph as Reyna turned and started walking. Like an obedient dog, he followed her. He whistled as she showed him to a pure black Mustang. “Damn, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to work on a beauty like this. There’s been an influx of boring cars."

"Well, I’m holding you to your bet, Valdez. Make my car perfect again," Reyna said, holding his gaze, her words sharp.

"And you knew my last name how?" Leo asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

"I know everything," she stated simply.

"I see," Leo said, laughing. “Confident. I like it. Anyways, what’s going on with your lovely vehicle?"

Reyna smirked lightly, not a smile, not yet. “I don’t know. That’s all up to you. It keeps stalling out."

Leo sighed. “Alright. It may be a while; do you need to call a ride or something?"

"I can’t admire you work?" Reyna asked, raising an innocent eyebrow. Leo burst out laughing.

"Of course you can, babe. It’s not very interesting though, I’m afraid to say," Leo said, with a bit of remorse, suddenly wishing that fixing cars was more interesting, just to make her happy.

"Well, you’ll have to put up with me. Home is too far away and I don’t have anyone to call," Reyna said with a shrug, daring him to tell her otherwise by one look.

Leo grinned. “Well then, pretty lady, you can take a seat anywhere you’d like." Reyna nodded, stone faced. He set to work on the car, trying to find out what the problem was. He relished in the fact that he was able to touch this Mustang, one of his dream cars, and tried to be as careful as possible.

As he popped the hood, lifting it up, Reyna asked a question. “Don’t you go to school with me?"

Leo glanced back at her, poised neatly in a chair. “I do."

"I thought so," Reyna said, nodding. “What grade?"

Leo chuckled to himself. “I’m a freshman." Reyna raised an eyebrow."I’m serious," Leo said through a laugh, his eyes sparkling.

"You look older," Reyna said with a shrug, her eyes following Leo as he walked over to the other side of the garage to get a different wrench.

"Well, I’ve gone through things that caused me to grow up fast," Leo said softly. Reyna gave him a curious look, but his eyes were far away, so she didn’t comment on it. After a few moments, he shook his head and started on the car again.

He worked in silence for a while, and glanced at the clock, realizing that it’d nearly been an hour and a half. “How come I’ve never seen you around school before? I know everyone," Reyna said suddenly, into the thick silence.

"I’m a nobody," Leo said with a shrug. “I’m probably always lost in the sea of hormonal teenagers up against the lockers." Reyna noted that his voice didn’t sound bitter or irritated, just honest. And even though Reyna could care less about guys, she could tell that Leo was really content with who he was as a person. And that was admirable.

"I hate that," Reyna found herself saying without even thinking. “The fact that people _have_  to follow the status quo or whatever. Why can’t I come up to you and have a conversation without people talking? Why can’t it all just be normal?" It was odd, really. Reyna never let herself say things like that; only thought them. However, if Leo really was a nobody, then why would it matter?

Leo smiled hugely at her. “That’s the most you’ve said all day. That’s quite a rant there, pretty lady, but it’s the rules of high school. Populars stay with the populars; losers stay with the losers. Not that I’m discouraging you from talking to me," he said, winking at her.

Reyna cracked the smallest of smiles, which made Leo’s grin widen. He wiped his hands of on his pants and closed the hood, tossing the wrench in a toolbox. “Alright, see how that works. Maybe drive around the parking lot for a few minutes?" Reyna stood and nodded, stepping into her car and backing out of the garage. She drove easily around the lot for several minutes, stopping in front of the garage and turning off the engine, stepping out of the car.

"Perfect," she breathed. “That’s a huge relief. Dad would have killed me."

"So, I won the bet?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

"I suppose you do," Reyna said, grabbing her wallet.

"And what exactly did I win?" Leo asked as Reyna stopped in front of him.

"Hold on, how much do I owe you?" Reyna questioned.

"Oh… just twenty. That’s fine," Leo said. She nodded and handed it over. Leo folded it several times before sliding it in his pocket.

"Anyways, to answer your question, you won.. Whatever you want," Reyna said easily, then paused. “Within reason," she added after a moment of consideration.

"A chance?" Leo suggested, feeling slightly nervous, but brushing it off. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been rejected.

"A chance?" Reyna echoed looking confused. “What…  _Oh._ " She paused. “Sure."

Leo nearly choked. “What?"

"I said ‘sure’. I’ll give you a chance," Reyna said simply. “Having second thoughts?"

"Um, no," Leo sputtered. “I just didn’t expect you to say, um, yes. You’re, well, out of my league, you know?" He ran his hands through his hair, his nervous gesture.

"Trying to convince me  _not_  to give you a chance?" Reyna asked, shaking her head amusedly. “You are an odd one, Valdez." Leo just stared at her, opening and closing his mouth, not really knowing a response. “Tell you what, how about I drive you over here from school tomorrow, so you can work, and we’ll just… hang out. Then, after that, maybe we can get something to eat?" Leo bit back a smile, nodding. “Great. Meet me at the front of the school, right by that tree."

"Y-yeah," Leo stuttered. He internally groaned at himself. Since when was Leo Valdez a stuttering mess?

Reyna smiled then, laughing lightly. Leo thought his heart was going to fall out of his chest. She reached up, ruffling his hair, then sweeping it out of his face like he’d done himself so many times before. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Valdez," she said, looking him in the eyes and smiling again.

"Right," Leo said, feeling his brain start to be a little more coherent. “I’ll see you," he said with a grin. Reyna turned and walked back to her car. She waved as before she drove off, and Leo literally jumped up and down like a little girl, muttering a string of expletives because  _did that really just happen or was it a dream?_

Bossman leaned out the door, stopping Leo’s mini-freak out. “Hey, Leo, go on home. The wife called; needs me home earlier to watch the kids."

Leo nodded respectfully. “Yes sir, I’ll be on my way. Oh, and here’s this," he said, handing over the twenty. Bossman nodded, walking back through the office and Leo went behind the counter in the front room and swung his backpack over his shoulder. “Bye!" he called out, not really expecting a reply and not getting one as he exited.

He walked home quickly, even though the walk was only ten minutes by itself. His uncle wouldn’t be home from work for a few more hours, so Leo started on his homework, and ended up falling asleep halfway through, despite the early hour.

* * *

"Leo! Don’t make me come up and wake you, son!"

Leo jolted awake, falling off of his bed. “‘M up!" he shouted back. He heard shuffling around and the sound of his uncle leaving for the morning shift. He dropped his face back down to the floor, groaning. School was the worst thing ever.

He got up to shower, his eyes widening when he saw the time. He had thirty minutes to get ready and walk to school. School was a fifteen minute walk.  _Shit._

He scrambled into his bathroom, showering in record time, and reentering his bedroom literally throwing on the first thing he saw. Leo shook his hair out and swept it to the side, grinning.  _Reyna day_. He stretched, saying ‘woohoo’ a bit enthusiastically to himself. He scooped all of his homework he’d fallen asleep on into his backpack. He jogged down the stairs, biting into an apple and leaving it in his mouth as he pulled on his shoes, tripping three times on the way to the door. He stepped outside, locking the door behind him and putting the key back in his pocket.

He started speedwalking to school, shaking out his hair occasionally to make sure it dried in the right way. He ate the apple, tossing the core into a ditch – for the birds of course, it wasn’t littering – and pulling out his phone to check the time.

Five minutes.

"Hell," Leo muttered outloud, starting to full on run to the school. He stepped through the doors right as the bell rang, alerting everyone to go to class. He sighed in relief, picking up a normal pace to his class. He swung his backpack so that it was in front of him, rummaging around for his cellphone to put it on silent.

"Leo," someone said, and he whipped his head around to see Piper, for some ungodly reason.

"Um, yes?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing. Jason asked me to give you this," she said with a shrug, handing over a piece of paper before walking off to class. He stared after her for a second, shocked at how…  _stranger-like_  they were acting around each other. He shoved the paper in his pocket, taking on the task at hand: get to class on time.

* * *

It was third period, woodshop, when he finally had time to stop and check out the piece of paper. And, he grinned like a madman.

_Don’t forget about me today, Valdez._

_Reyna._

A simple note, but it had Leo’s heart beating out of his chest. Reyna not only remembered their agreement, but she’d gone through both Jason and Piper to give him a note as a reminder. “Oh my god," he muttered aloud, hardly believing that this wasn’t all a huge dream.

* * *

When the last bell of the day rang, Leo walked to his locker and tossed his History book in there, closing it quickly. He leaned his head against his locker, taking a deep breath.  _Breath, Leo. Breathe._

After calming his heartbeat, but only slightly, Leo put on his charming smile and started walking to the front of the school in the awkward way he did. When he got there, backpack swung over his shoulder and a hand resting on the strap, people who were usually there after school gave him an odd look. They probably hadn’t really been expecting a new person to join the usual crowd, but he brushed it off as the black Mustang pulled up, a silly grin adorning his face. He felt a few people give him curious looks as he headed towards the car, thinking that he had brain damage.

Nobody messed with Reyna Liston; it was a common known fact. She was hardcore, and took absolutely no shit. She was tough, but Leo knew that there had to be something underneath. After all, who would build up a rough exterior if they didn’t need to hide anything more hurtful inside?

As he opened the car door, Reyna greeted him before saying, “They’re staring."

Leo shrugged as he threw his backpack on her floorboard, settling in and making himself at home. “Let ‘em," Leo said, rolling his eyes. Reyna shrugged as well, driving off towards the mechanic shop Leo worked at.

"So, how was your day?" Reyna asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"It was good. I about had a heart attack in third period," Leo said, smiling.

"Why?" Reyna asked, looking a little confused if not worried.

"I got this note that was written by a really pretty lady, and it really surprised me. I mean, I didn’t even expect her to remember, but she  _reminded me_. It was wonderful," Leo said, sighing a bit dreamily.

Reyna laughed, and Leo decided that he quite liked that sound. He wanted to curl up and relish in it forever, honestly.

The rest of the drive – which was only about two minutes – was filled with mindless chatter about a rumor Reyna had heard and a way different one Leo did. He didn’t care much about drama, but he would rather there be pointless gossip than silence.

After they pulled up into a parking spot, Reyna shut off her car before getting out. Leo got out as well, swinging his backpack over his shoulder and walking swiftly inside. There was probably already a customer. Reyna followed after as he jogged lightly into the office, clocking in and dropping his backpack before pulling out his light blue button up, still smudged in oil as usual. He pulled off the sweater he’d been wearing for the day, revealing a plain white t-shirt before pushing his arms through the sleeves and shaking out his hair twice before sweeping it to the side.

"That was a long process," Reyna commented from the doorway.

Leo winked in her direction. “It takes time to look this good, babe," he told her, grinning. She gave a small smile back, and Leo walked past her, running his hands through his hair. He approached the door that led to the garage, and he turned to face her. “It’s not too late to run. I know this will bore you to tears if you stay. I will fully understand if you get back in your gorgeous car and drive off," Leo said, looking down at her. Funny, he’d never realized the height difference.

Reyna laughed then, shaking her head. “God, it’s like you don’t want me to be here. I came up with the plan, Valdez. I actually  _enjoyed_  being here for a while yesterday."

"Oh," Leo replied simply and softly, not really knowing what to say. He opened the door, holding it open for her before jogging up ahead of her.

Old lady and a Cadillac. Lovely.

"Good afternoon, ma’am," Leo said, holding out his hand. “How are you today?" He smiled at her, and the older woman smiled back.

"Well, aren’t you just a darling little charmer! And is that you’re girlfriend? She’s very pretty", the older woman complimented.

"Oh, but she’s not–" Leo started.

"Anyways," the older woman interrupted, not rudely, just like she didn’t even hear him speaking in the first place. “There’s something wrong with my car."

He tipped and imaginary hat at her. “I’ll figure it out, gorgeous," he told her with a wink. The older woman blushed and smiled, handing over her keys. Leo knew that she was well aware that he wasn’t interested in her, but it never hurt to boost their confidence. “It may be a while though, so would you like to call anyone maybe to come pick you up?"

"Sure, sure," the old woman said flicking her hand. “I’ll call my friend Pam."

I nodded and smiled. “The phone is just by that door over there. Let me know if you need anything else," Leo said respectfully.

"Oh, you are just adorable!" she proclaimed, patting his cheek. Leo heard a snort, and he turned to glare at Reyna for a few seconds. The older woman walked away to call her friend and Leo got to work on the Cadillac.

* * *

That afternoon was filled with much pointless fact sharing. ("What’s your favorite color? What about your favorite food? What music do you like?") Nonetheless, no matter how pointless it was, Leo found himself loving every little bit he learned about Reyna.

She had a massive fear of people pinching her arms, due to a bad dream once when she was little. She didn’t eat the tips of her fries. Reyna was a black belt in karate and had taken sword lessons last year. She went to a leadership camp every summer, which Leo thought explained why she was considered one of the main, well, leaders at the school.

All in all, Reyna was a badass girl, but Leo found himself really adoring it.

Just when Leo had finally fixed the Cadillac, closing the hood and tossing the tools into the nearest toolbox, Reyna asked, “What about your parents?"

"Mom’s dead, Dad was never here," Leo said blankly. So many had asked the question that he’d learned to say it without getting all upset.

Reyna’s face, however, fell. “How? I mean – oh, god, I’m so sorry–"

Leo waved her off. “Nah, don’t worry about it. She died in a fire at her old workshop. I was there too, but I made it out alive. Dad was just never in the picture. Stop making that face!" Leo scolded when she continued biting her lip and looking apologetic. “You look a million times more gorgeous when you smile, so let’s stick to that, yeah?"

Much to Leo’s mirth, Reyna blushed the slightest bit. He grinned outwardly and did a mini victory dance inwardly. “I’m still sorry."

"And I forgave you ages ago", Leo said with a shrug, holding out a hand to help her up. “Alright, Miss Reyna Liston, I am officially done with my shift. And although I have oil on me, and I probably look like a greasy little kid, I am ready to eat. If that is still on our agenda? It doesn’t have to be, as afore mentioned, you can still walk out right now and Leo Valdez will not mind at all, I swear, so–"

"Leo Valdez is about to be punched if he doesn’t stop trying to kick me out. Keep in mind that Reyna Liston has a black belt," Reyna said lightly, but seriously.

"Noted," Leo said, walking into the office and clocking out. He pulled off the button up and replaced it with the sweater, shaking his hair out and running his hands through it.

"I think you fix your hair more than I fix mine," Reyna commented, cocking her head to the side.

Leo snorted. “Yeah, because I don’t wake up beautiful with the birds singing and sun shining through my window. I have to work to be this beautiful," he said, raising his chin in the air so he looked prestigious. Reyna laughed and shook her head as Leo swung his backpack over his shoulder. “Come on, pretty lady. I’m starving."

* * *

Not all that surprisingly, they ended up going to a McDonald’s. It was close, and cheap, and – Leo thought – not all that committed. That way, if this ended up being a total fail, it would be easily forgotten.

As it turns out though, it was not a fail. Reyna was smiling nearly the whole time, and of course, Leo was, because he’s  _Leo_. Reyna loosened up a little more and stopped being so guarded, sharing her opinion, and laughing.

Leo was still trying to figure out if he was dreaming.

After their meal at McDonald’s, in which Reyna confided that she loved but didn’t eat very often, she offered to give him a ride home. And Leo didn’t object becn the past day, so there was really no more questions to ask as Leo gave Reyna directions to his house.

"You know," Reyna said, after she’d parked outside his house, “I… know how you feel." Leo raised an eyebrow in question, unbuckling his seat belt and leaning up against the car door so her could face her. “Like, my father wasn’t ever in the picture, and my mom died." She laughed a little sadly to herself. “Drug overdose. But just… I know how you feel, okay?"

ause it was more time to spend with Reyna. It seemed that they’d learned everything about each other i

Leo, being the daring little person he is, leaned over and kissed her cheek, whispering a “thank you" before getting out of the car. He waved over his shoulder and he assumed Reyna waved back, but he didn’t turn around, in fear that she’d see the small tears in his eyes as he thought about his mother.

* * *

The next day at school, the weirdest thing happened.

Leo was walking to class like the dedicated student he wasn’t, waving at someone who’d acknowledged his existence when someone yanked on his backpack. “Um, yes?" Leo asked, turning around.

He was face to face with Jason this time, who had a huge grin on his face. “Man, I heard about you and Reyna!"

Leo’s eyes widened. “What?"

"There’s a rumor that you guys are together. Are you?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don’t… We never really talked abou–"

Then his shirt was being yanked on and lips were finding his cheek before he was released. “I wish you weren’t so tall," Reyna said, as Leo still blinked in surprise.

"Wait… What?" he asked, utterly confused. Jason smiled, giving Leo a thumbs-up before walking off. “There’s a rumor that we’re–"

"Yeah," Reyna interjected. “I started it."

"Oh."

"Yeah," she said. “And I was hoping that it wouldn’t be a rumor anymore? That it could either be dissolved or confirmed?" Leo laughed at that, shaking his head as if to say ‘do you even have to ask?’

Reyna smiled and gestured for him to bend down a little. “I hate how tall you are."

"Wear heels," Leo suggested.

Reyna snorted in laughter. “I don’t do heels. You’ll have to get shorter."

"Sure, I’ll just amputate my legs for you," Leo said, leveling his gaze with hers. She wasn’t really sure if he was joking or being serious, because he looked so genuine, like he would if she really asked him to.

"Maybe you should just kiss me instead," Reyna suggested. Leo leaned forward and kissed her cheek, his eyes glinting. Reyna rolled her eyes. “Seriously?"

"I just don’t want to spoil you," Leo told her with a wink. “But, I guess it couldn’t hurt."

And even though his heart was beating faster than what was most likely considered healthy, and his curls were still in his face a little, and it was hurting his back because he was leaning down, Leo decided that it was his new favorite thing.

* * *

By the end of second period, Leo was suddenly a  _somebody_. People who passed him, who he’d never spoken to, said ‘hey, Leo!’ to him. It was odd, really. He was questioned about himself and Reyna several times, asking if it was legit, and he always confirmed it, but had to bite back a nearly manic smile.

After school, he went to his locker and threw a binder and his textbook in there, shutting it behind him. He felt and hand on his spine, and he nearly jumped out of his skin, before relaxing after he saw that it was Reyna. “Oh. Hey, pretty lady. What brings you to my locker on this fine day?" he asked, turned around and leaning his shoulder on his locker so that he could face her.

"I was going to offer someone a ride," she said, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Someone is going to accept," Leo decided, following Reyna as she walked with him back to her car. He jumped a little when he felt Reyna’s hand slip into his, but it was a small moment before he intertwined their fingers. “We kind of threw status quo out the window, didn’t we?" Leo said after a few moments of silence.

"It was stupid anyways," Reyna said with a shrug.

"So, you don’t care?"

"Should I?"

"I don’t know," Leo admitted. “I just don’t want you to lose your spot as one of the cool people because of me–"

"Leo," Reyna said, using his first name. It was a rarity. “I wasn’t really one of the cool people. I rule by fear. I’m a bitch and I can kick anyone who says otherwise’s ass. And, I will kick  _your_  ass if you keep trying to run me off. I’m here to stay. Deal with it."

And, Leo thought, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing to deal with.

* * *

It became a thing for Reyna to drive Leo to work after school and hang out with him for hours. Despite already knowing a lot about each other, they always found something to talk about. Leo had a way of making dirt and exciting topic, and Reyna had a way of sitting silently, smiling to herself as she watched him talk animatedly.

They were a couple; full and confirmed. Leo was Reyna’s boyfriend, and Reyna was Leo’s girlfriend.

They were the unlikeliest, sure, but they worked. And that’s why they found themselves not really caring at all.

Before they knew it, a month or two had passed and they were still together – happily. Leo let Reyna meet his crazy uncle, and Reyna let Leo meet her grandmother that she lived with.

Leo was constantly floating on Cloud Nine, still confused as to how he managed to land Reyna – the most gorgeous girl he’d ever seen, but also the most intimidating.

Reyna didn’t really know why she liked Leo – who was awkward and odd and confusing – so much. But she did. Reyna came to the conclusion that he was  _different_  and that was what made him perfect.

And Leo? Well, he came to the conclusion that love is always better the third time around.


End file.
